


i need you in the picture

by goodbyes



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Confessions, Flashback, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Sharing a Bed, this is gay n so am i
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-30 16:44:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15100886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodbyes/pseuds/goodbyes
Summary: Ace couldn’t believe that it was only a few months ago when he’d gotten the first call from 2D in February of that year, sayingMurdoc’s been arrested, he left us your number, can you play the bass guitar?





	i need you in the picture

**Author's Note:**

> hi this is my first ever thing ive written for gorillaz so feedback is appreciated !!
> 
> title is from humility by gorillaz off their new album the now now stream it on itunes and spotify

Spending hours on end in a recording studio recording and re-recording songs was probably one of the most draining processes for an artist creating an album, and Gorillaz were no exception.

By the time the band stumbled through the front door of the Spirit House, it was already nighttime. Stars dotted the sky; the isolated neighborhood was silent save for the jingle of Noodle’s keys as she opened the door and the click as it shut behind them all.

“I’m going to sleep,” Noodle announced. “Do not wake me until at least one in the afternoon. Goodnight, boys.” She walked off to her room as a unanimous “goodnight” rang from the three other members.

“I’m not far behind her,” Russel scrubbed a hand over his face and turned to leave, “‘Night.” 2D and Ace bid him goodnight before deciding they were best off getting rest as well, especially 2D, who’s painkiller-induced lethargy seemed to hang over him like a cloud now that it was late.

2D silently slipped his hand into Ace’s as they walked back to his room. Since Murdoc’s departure, Ace had been put up in his room due to their new residence lacking a fifth bedroom. It had been fine by Ace— he and Murdoc had been friends anyways. But eventually, Ace started spending less and less time in that room once he and 2D had begun to date, since 2D was much more comfortable not being anywhere near anything of Murdoc’s. Once he had finally told Ace the extent to which the former bandmate had treated him, the bassist couldn’t blame him.

The pair reached 2D’s room, at which point the singer dropped Ace’s hand to shut the door and begin undressing, removing his shirt and trading his jeans for a much looser pair of pyjama pants. Ace, not wanting to seem like a _creep_ , averted his eyes to the rest of his boyfriend’s bedroom; standing out with all its personality against the rest of the dreary old house.

He’d redecorated several times over the course of their stay, and now the room was painted a light shade of yellow (“It’s a happy color!”), posters advertising 80s’ singers and overly-Hollywood horror movies hung near his bed and over a desk pushed up against a wall. The floor was much messier; clothes strewn everywhere, with multicolored pens used for writing in his songbook littered amongst them. Careful not to step on any, Ace moved to take his sunglasses off and sit in the chair at the desk as 2D flopped across his bed.

Ace couldn’t believe that it was only a few months ago when he’d gotten the first call from 2D in February of that year, saying _Murdoc’s been arrested, he left us your number, can you play the bass guitar?_

At the time, the gangster had only marked the whole experience up to a favor Murdoc would owe him back. He had never expected to form an actual connection to the band, and he had never expected to grow _attached_.

Who was a gangster to grow attached? It shouldn’t have been in his nature, but he had to consider that maybe those days might have been behind him the first time he had played with the band. Russel had been encouraging, Noodle had smiled at him, half amusement and half excitement, but _2D_.

There was just something about the singer that had acted like gravity for Ace, the way his eyes changed color depending on his mood, his kind gap-toothed smile, the mystery surrounding what gave him the inspiration for every song he wrote.

Ace had been used to unfamiliarity, but he’d have been lying if he hadn’t said he’d wanted to get closer to 2D, learn about how he saw the band and life, see that smile of his more often.

It hadn’t taken him long to realize that his feelings towards 2D weren’t exactly _platonic_ in nature. It had almost made him feel like a teenager again, the way his heartbeat sped up like the revving of an engine when the singer would sit next to him on the sofa, or the way he always danced around his feelings, attempting to shove them down or express them in a roundabout way instead of just _talking_ to 2D, you know, like an adult.

He had been more than overwhelmed whenever he’d learned that the object of his affections reciprocated his feelings. They’d been sitting on the couch watching some ridiculous old horror flick 2D had probably seen dozens of times prior to the event, and yet his eyes had still been glued to the screen as if he’d never seen it before. When Ace had noticed the death grip 2D had on his own legs clenched to his chest, he’d prompted him on what was wrong.

That was when the confession had come. Words seemed to endlessly flow from the frontman’s mouth as he stammered over things like _you’re so nice to everyone_ and _you’re amazing_ and _you’re nothing like Murdoc_ and _please stay in the band forever, ‘cause I really like you._

After that, 2D’s brain had seemed to catch up with what he was saying, and he stopped abruptly as he slapped a hand over his mouth. Muffled apologies slipped through his fingers like water through a leaking dam. That was, until Ace had grabbed the man’s hand to pull it away from his mouth and press a chaste kiss to his lips.

Thinking about it now, Ace still smiled when he remembered the way 2D’s eyes had gone big and white, and how soft and awed his voice had been when he asked, _d’you mean it?_

Ace did mean it. He still does.

Following that night, they’d worked to build a healthy relationship together; that entailed going on breakfast dates, communicating, Ace giving 2D dumb nicknames like _Blue_ , and, after a while, sharing a bed. That last one made him remember where he was, and that his boyfriend was probably getting weirded out by him just sitting in a chair, staring blankly.

“D’You want me to stay?” Ace had asked this every time he slept in 2D’s room; he’d always said yes, but the bassist never wanted to assume anything or overstep his boundaries and effectively scare the singer off.

2D nodded silently, his eyes closed. Ace took that as his cue to stand up and undress to his undershirt and underwear, borrowing a pair of pyjama pants from his boyfriend’s floor. He turned the lights off before padding barefoot to the side of 2D’s bed, at which it’s current occupant rolled to the side to make room.

Ace laid down, and it wasn’t long after he did so that 2D rolled back over, laying his head on the bassist’s chest and slinging an arm around his waist.

Ace snorted. “I forgot how clingy you are when you’re tired.”

“‘Am not,” 2D sniffed, “the house is drafty. I need _warmth_.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Sod off.”

2D turned his face more into Ace’s chest, making the latter laugh, high-pitched and gravelly. He began to card his fingers through blue hair, soft and thin, earning a sigh of content from his boyfriend.

They stayed like that for a while, not talking or moving, until 2D spoke up again.

“Ace?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sure you know, but there’s this— this _thing_ going around. People talking a-about breaking Murdoc”— Ace noted the contempt in his voice— “out of prison. He’ll come back.” 2D tightened his grip on Ace’s shirt like a vise before finishing, “You aren’t gonna leave, are you?”

“You? Never.” The reply was practically immediate, because if there was one thing Ace was certain of about his time with the band, it was that if he could help it, he would never let Murdoc see any of them again. They’d all told him upfront some way or another that their lives were better, that they enjoyed making music more without their former bassist there.

“Good,” 2D answered, then, “good.” more assuredly. “I guess I’m just paranoid. He’s gotta be miffed that I made an album without him, but it’s like, I don’t need him, y’know? All he did was hold me back. Look what I did without him. It’s better this way. It’s— it’s better with you.” He finished by angling his head up and pressing a kiss to Ace’s jaw before returning to his previous position.

Ace felt as though his heart might burst. Before he got to answer, he felt 2D mumble something against his chest, inaudible.

“What’s that?”

“I love you,” 2D said, louder.

Now, Ace felt as though his heart might stop. In the months they’d been dating, both of them had skirted around saying those three words to each other, out of fear, or comfortability with what they had, or both. He moved his hand from his boyfriend’s hair and wrapped it around his waist instead, pulling him closer.

“I love you too, Dee.”

He felt 2D smile against him before he settled in again. A few minutes later, and he could feel that the man’s breathing had also evened out, meaning he’d fallen asleep.

Ace smiled to himself and to the dark of the room.

“Night, Blue.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> again feedback is appreciated and thank u for reading !!


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